Zinc linked to macular degeneration

FAIRFAX, Va., Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A team of U.S. and British researchers has found a possible link between the mineral zinc and macular degeneration.

Scientists studying eye tissue samples found deposits, a hallmark of age-related macular degeneration, containing large amounts of zinc, George Mason University said Monday in a news release.

The study, published in the journal Experimental Eye Research, said the finding is particularly important because zinc supplements are widely given to patients to boost weak immune systems. Also, a 2001 study by the National Eye Institute found high doses of zinc supplements combined with antioxidants may postpone the progression to blindness.

“The double-edged sword is that zinc has been found to enhance the immune system, but also could play a role in the advancement of macular degeneration,” said Imre Lengyel of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology in London, who led the collaborative study.

Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the primary cause of blindness in the elderly in Western society, affecting about 13 million people in the United States, the AMD Alliance International said.